This page was created by volunteers like you!
Help us make it even better. To learn more about contributing to MEpedia, click here.
Join the movement
Visit #MEAction to find support or take action. Donate today to help us improve and expand this project.
Congratulations!
MEpedia has got over 30 million views as of August 2022!

Constipation

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history

Constipation is a common gastrointestinal occurrence that is defined by often having fewer than three bowel movements a week, having a difficult time passing stools, having stools that are lumpy or hard, or having a feeling of being blocked or of not having fully emptied your bowels.[1]

Presentation[edit | edit source]

Prevalence[edit | edit source]

  • Katrina Berne reports a prevalence of 50-90% for IBS symptoms (including diarrhea, nausea, gas, and abdominal pain).[2]
  • 81.8% - 85.6% of the 2073 patients in a Belgian study of 2001 reported gastrointestinal disturbance.[3]

Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]

Gastrointestinal issues (diarrhoea, constipation, acid reflux) as a group are a potential symptom of Long COVID in the World Health Organization's definition.[4]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

Possible causes[edit | edit source]

Potential treatments[edit | edit source]

  • Adequate hydration
  • High fiber diet/fiber supplementation
  • Probiotics

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Concerned About Constipation?". National Institute on Aging. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  2. Berne, Katrina (December 1, 1995). Running on Empty: The Complete Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS) (2nd ed.). Hunter House. p. 58. ISBN 978-0897931915.
  3. De Becker, Pascale; McGregor, Neil; De Meirleir, Kenny (December 2001). "A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome". Journal of Internal Medicine. 250 (3): 234–240. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x.
  4. Soriano, Joan B.; Allan, Maya; Alsokhn, Carine; Alwan, Nisreen A.; Askie, Lisa; Davis, Hannah E.; Diaz, Janet V.; Dua, Tarun; de Groote, Wouter; Jakob, Robert; Lado, Marta; Marshall, John; Murthy, Srin; Preller, Jacobus; Relan, Pryanka; Schiess, Nicoline; Seahwag, Archana (October 6, 2021), A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition working group on post COVID-19 condition, World Health Organization